89.1 WEMU: Issues of the Environment

Every day, the choices we make in our homes and communities connect to much bigger environmental stories. One of those connections is through Plastic Free July, a global movement encouraging people to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics. But what does that look like right here in Washtenaw County? Lydia McMullen-Laird is the co-founder and deputy director of the Ann Arbor-based Zerowaste....

PFAS. Few environmental issues have affected Michigan communities more directly than these so-called "forever chemicals," which have been found in our waterways, groundwater, and drinking water systems across the state. In her first segment as host of "Issues of the Environment," Rebekah Warren was joined by U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. They discussed what local and national actions ha...

Meet the new host of "Issues of the Environment." You know her as a former state Representative and former state Senator from Ann Arbor. Rebekah Warren served as chair of the House Great Lakes and Environment committee and in a number of other environmental leadership roles. Since leaving office, Rebekah has founded, and is President and CEO of Adaptive Strategics, which puts environmental issues...

There is a species of butterfly so rare, its worldwide population is limited to 10 highly fragmented pockets in Michigan and Indiana. Washtenaw County is among the areas where you'll find the Mitchell's satyr. Efforts to save the species continue and come via some radical habitat preservation strategies. WEMU's David Fair shares more about the local effort to prevent extinction in a conversation w...

Because of federal funding rollbacks for environmental programs, city and local governmental units are looking to more public-private partnerships. With Ann Arbor looking to become carbon neutral by the year 2030, such partnerships are crucial. WEMU's David Fair talked with the Director of the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations, Missy Stults, on the importance of expanding such par...

We often ask ourselves how we can make a difference in the health of our environment at home. One of the answers is to build a rain garden. There are now well over 1,000 rain gardens in Washtenaw County as the Water Resources Commissioner's Office has scaled a decentralized network to capture and filter stormwater. It's making a difference, and the effort will expand this year. WEMU's David Fair g...

The march toward carbon neutrality in Ann Arbor continues. In enacting the measures needed to make the A2ZERO plan work by the goal date of 2030, it has to be approached from a variety of angles. That includes boots on the ground. That’s where the Ann Arbor Climate Corps comes in. It helps bridge the gap between city policy and neighborhood level implementation, and it’s been working so far. But n...

There is a growing local food network in Washtenaw County. As high prices increase food insecurity, more homegrown food can help. Further, local farmers are creating better connections with the general public, and that is helping to combat the climate crisis by helping reduce transportation-related emissions. There is also potential for more local economic impact. WEMU's David Fair talked with Rya...

Climate change has brought more unpredictable weather, and that has resulted in more severe storms and more flooding, more dams at risk and that, of course, puts property and lives in danger. Around here, we depend on the Huron River. The Digital Water Lab at the University of Michigan has set a network of real-time sensors to improve water monitoring, flood response and coordination among dam ope...

Are you familiar with pocket forests? These are dense plantings of native trees and shrubs that can influence water movement and soil conditions and improve the environment and ecosystem in a targeted area. There are already some in Washtenaw County, and more are coming. WEMU's David Fair talked about the growing number of small-scale ecological projects with Dr. Heather Chen-Yost, who is a volunt...

Environmental concerns continue to surround data centers, and there are a number either approved or planned in Washtenaw County. Supporters of these centers contend there are ways to ensure environmental health while improving the local economy. We’ve explored environmental concerns on WEMU’s "Issues of the Environment." This time around, we’ll get a business perspective on it. Phil Santer is Chie...

Today is Earth Day. The theme for Earth Day 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet." To mark the occasion, we take a look at the power of natural river flow and the benefits and consequences of man-made dams. There are some legislative reforms under consideration in Lansing, and, in the meantime, there are a number of dams in Washtenaw County in different states of functionality. Huron River Watershed Cou...

The Willow Run Airport is among those dealing with PFAS contamination. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has placed the airport within the state’s environmental mitigation efforts tied to aviation contamination. Willow Run will get a $250,000 grant to test and monitor for current pollution and to control or reduce additional contamination and to evaluate clean-up strat...

Most of us will agree; when you combine environmental education with urban forestry and seasonal ecology, and part of the reward is a sweet, sticky, natural treat, you have a winning combination! Making syrup at the neighborhood level: that's the subject of this week's "Issues of the Environment" conversation between Jennie Williams and WEMU's David Fair. Williams is from the Pear Street Collectiv...

Just about 40 miles from our WEMU studios sits a 440-acre lake plain prairie. It’s called the Sibley Prairie, and you’ll find it in Brownstown Township. It is the largest and highest quality lake plain prairie in Michigan. As such, work is underway to try and permanently preserve this rare ecosystem. Jeff Vornhagen is Director-at-Large of the Huron Valley Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Society....

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that the Gelman Sciences 1,4 Dioxane plume has been added to the federal Superfund National Priorities List. After years of effort toward that end, it seemed as though the designation came suddenly and without notice. With a little time behind us now, we’re looking ahead to what’s next in the slow process of cleanup and accountability in a con...

While we work on big, community environmental initiatives and goals, we have to remember that sometimes it’s the small, everyday choices we make at home that add up to a big difference. Washtenaw County has robust reuse and recycle programs. With the growing amount of electronics in our lives, we are often left with decisions to make about how best to get rid of those items. WEMU's David Fair talk...

The picture of our present-day energy use comes from a sort of all-of-the-above menu. We use oil, gas, natural gas, nuclear, wind and solar. Research is underway to determine if the use of hydrogen can be used to significant scale as part of the energy diet. Ann Arbor has become central to the research and discussion on that matter. On this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair was...

The race to eliminate waste is on, and the University of Michigan is working to win! The Campus Race to Zero Waste is the nation’s leading collegiate waste-reduction competition. Michigan won the competition in 2024 but fell short last year. The 2026 competition is underway and runs through the end of March. WEMU's David Fair spoke with U-M Sustainability Program Manager Alison Richardson about th...

As we continue the process of mapping out our energy future, there are a number of issues to address, from energy generation and storage to how our electric grids are developed, secured and controlled. State Senator Jeff Irwin is a proponent of virtual power plants as a part of the comprehensive solution. It would divert control of the grids away from the major, centralized utilities. The 15th Dis...